1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to displays for aircraft instrumentation. More specifically, this invention relates to thin, flat panel displays that display representations of aircraft instruments in color.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is desirable to use a thin, flat panel display in an aircraft cockpit so that aircraft parameters, which have typically been displayed on analog or electronic instruments, can be simulated on the flat panel display to provide reliable aircraft information. Aircraft parameters such as altitude, air speed, pitch, roll, and fuel consumption can be simulated on a thin, flat panel display so that the cockpit crew can readily observe these parameters. These displays are usually composed of liquid crystal devices (LCD) which can output color images.
In flat panel displays, preferably LCD flat panel displays, which combine simulated displays of instruments, all of the simulated instruments must output images to the cockpit crew with the highest integrity. Prior attempts at producing the flat panel displays which are driven by a central processing unit and a video graphics accelerator have not made it possible to monitor the actual images on a flat panel which the flight crew uses as a reference. The complicated software has not yet been developed which would be needed to modify current graphics accelerators and central processing units to adequately insure that the flat panel displays do not output erroneous information. Accordingly, the art has not heretofore produced flat panel displays for aircraft instrumentation, which reliably provide aircraft parameters to cockpit crews. Moreover, other information which the crew must monitor during flight and landings is not even available today in a convenient electronic format so that the flight crew can easily and simply access it in a timely and safe fashion. For example, well-known “approach plates” which set out in detail the terrain over which the plane is flying contain detailed information about the terrain which must be examined by the crew during flight and landings. Typically, approach plates have been available only as foldable, hard-copy map-like papers that the crew sticks or pastes to an instrument in the cockpit. Needless to say, this is an inefficient and potentially dangerous manner in which to observe terrain information. Furthermore, since approach plates contain detailed information about the terrain, oftentimes the information is obscured and difficult to read since it exists only on the hard-copy. Recently, approach plates have been made available on compact discs, but the required compact disc players are not conveniently found in a cockpit so that the crew can electronically access the approach plates. Also, compact disc players do not have the capability to “zoom-in” on a desired area of the approach plate so that the information can be readily comprehended and interpreted by the flight crew.
Additionally, prior display and processing systems for cockpit crews have required detailed and time-consuming certification procedures by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before such systems and software can be incorporated into a new aircraft flight system. Such certification procedures are quite costly and can hinder the development and utilization of new aircraft control and flight systems.
Moreover, prior flight control systems and display devices have not provided adequate diagnostic tools for the crew and maintenance personnel to test and verify the performance of the various flight systems which are typically displayed in the cockpit. In the past, such systems have been tested or monitored only when maintenance personnel have specifically run diagnostic procedures on the systems according to standard practices or maintenance routines. Therefore, long-term data is not provided, or even available, for flight systems which can aid in indicating and/or diagnosing sporadic or intermittent problems with the systems, thereby allowing maintenance and crew personnel to adequately address such issues for safety purposes.
Accordingly, there is a long-felt, but unresolved need, in the art for flat panel display systems which are readily implementable in current aircraft to display flight data to the crew in the cockpit. Such display systems should be robust and simply integrated into the cockpit environment so that the flight crew can rely on the data received from the display system with assurance of its credibility. It would be further beneficial if these systems were equipped with diagnostic procedures so that long-term data is developed to indicate the performance of the systems over long periods and diverse conditions. Furthermore, an easily certifiable system is desired. Such needs have not heretofore been achieved in the art.